Emotion
by kerryf984
Summary: Gail tries to deal with the many emotions that she is experiencing after the return of Lucas Buck and the loss of her child. Takes place after the finale.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer-** I do not own any of the American Gothic characters

**Rating**- M

It was a cold January's day in Trinity South Carolina, white frost could be seen on all rooftops throughout the town and an ice cold wind blew about the place, rattling the windows in the hospital.

Gail lay silently in the hospital bed, trying to sort through the multitude of emotions that she was experiencing. She had recently awoken from a coma that had lasted almost two months to see her dead ex-boyfriend standing over her hospital bed.

At first she was confused, seeing Lucas Buck alive and kicking was more than a shock. Lucas had explained that he had been buried alive after some drug had been given to him to stop his heart rate; however, his Deputy had come to the rescue with the help of Dr Billy Peele and he was nursed back to good health.

Gail couldn't decide whether she was relieved or upset, after all she had made peace with the fact that she would be raising their child as a single mother. Then Lucas told her that she had taken a tumble down a set of stairs, which had resulted in her losing their baby. For the first time in her life Gail was speechless. After many discussions with Billy, she had considered not having the baby; however, she had decided that she couldn't punish their child for her mistake.

After a moment of silence and contemplation, Gail shouted several insults at Lucas and ordered him to get out. Upon reflection, Gail believed that she could have handled the situation better. Lucas had lost a child too and Billy had told her later that day that Lucas had made sure he was by her side as much as possible to ensure he was present when she woke up.

Several hours had passed since Lucas had broken the news to her and she had been visited by several people including Deputy Ben Healy, Nurse Rita and her cousin Caleb. Caleb had seemed distant and wary of her when he approached her bed. He had said he was happy to see she had finally woken up; however, there was something hidden behind his eyes that she didn't care for, she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was but she knew he was hiding something.

When Caleb had left it had been a relief. Gail had been welcoming and greeted her visitors with a warm smile, but the truth of the matter was that she was screaming inside.

Now Gail just felt numb. She tried desperately to remember what had happened to cause the fall in the first place. Gail remembered being concerned about Caleb, as Selena Coombs had found her and informed her Caleb had ran away. After losing her parents Gail had ran away several times and had been placed in foster care because of her actions.

Gail remembered searching for Caleb at his friend's house, the park, his favourite spot by the river, all to no avail. In the end Selena had driven to Lucas Bucks house, as they had searched everywhere else. Upon reflection, Selena had behaved in a strange manner, she had been far too nice for Gail's liking and she wouldn't enter Lucas's house.

After Gail had entered the house everything was a hazy, she remembered thinking Caleb had changed and he was acting very different; however, she couldn't remember what he had done to make her think this way.

Gail had grown very close to Caleb and they had formed a loving bond that only close family can do. She had been alone for so many years and it was nice to have family again, it was a shame that it had taken a tragedy to bring them together. Gail wouldn't allow herself to think that Caleb had anything to do with her accident and quickly moved on with her train of thought, but her memory failed her and she hit a block.

Gail was becoming frustrated and agitated, she didn't want to lie around in a hospital bed and allow people to mistake her for vulnerable. Gail got up and went to the wardrobe at the far end of the room and found a bag with her clothes in, she was very thankful that someone had thought ahead and made sure she had clean clothes. Gail changed into a faded pair of jeans, a loose grey T-Shirt and a thick blue cardigan; she managed to dig out her boots and a clip to tie her hair up, then she was on her way out of the hospital room.

Looking around the dull lit hospital corridor, Gail realised that it was later than she had originally thought and the place was deserted, apart from a nurse on the main desk further down the hall.

Gail casually walked in the direction of the exit which led her past the main desk and hoped she wouldn't be noticed. The nurse who was on call wasn't one she recognised so she picked up her pace and headed out the door before someone realise who she was.

The sun had started to set outside and it was bitterly cold. Gail wrapped her arms around her chest for some warmth and continued down the steps. Now that she was outside she began to see the flaw in her plan. Gail had no car, no money and no way of getting home. This was just brilliant, she thought.

Looking around the area Gail noticed a familiar yellow sports car, but was she that desperate to get away from here? Selena Coombs and Gail had never gotten on since Selena sabotaged Gail's chances of getting custody of Caleb; although, Gail couldn't blame her, as she clearly did it out of love for Lucas. Gail glanced to the left and right before deciding she had no other choice and approached the sports car.

Selena was sat in her car contemplating what her next move should be. She wanted to go into the hospital and find Billy, to see if she could convince him to stop avoiding her, but part of her was scared of the rejection which might come. Selena was used to having any man she wanted; it was a strange feeling being worried about rejection.

Just as Selena was about to turn on the engine of her car and drive away from the hospital, she saw an unexpected visitor approaching her vehicle. Selena could not believe her when bad luck, when she saw Gail Emory walking towards her and she got out of her car.

'Well, no one told me Sleeping Beauty had finally awoken from her slumber' Selena said with a smirk.

'It's good to see you too Selena' Gail said sarcastically.

'So, when did you decide to come back to the land of the living?' Selena asked.

'This morning…look, I really need to get out of here Selena, how about a ride?'

'If you only woke up this morning I think it's safe to say that you haven't been officially discharged from the hospital, am I right?'

Gail glanced away from Selena's knowing gaze in a guilty way.

'Now, I'd hate to get the blame for being a bad influence and letting the lovely Miss Emory leave the hospital premises before she had properly healed'

Gail was beginning to get impatient, Billy or a nurse could come out of the hospital at any time and she just had to get away. 'Come on Selena, since when do you care what people think of you. Besides, all I want is a ride home and I won't tell anyone that it was you that drove me'

Although Selena didn't much like Gail, she felt inclined to help. In another life they could have been friends, if it wasn't for Lucas Buck and Selena didn't know many women that she could talk to, it would be nice to have a women owe her a favour for a change.

'I know I'm going to regret this…' Selena said with an exasperated sigh and opened her door'…come on, get in.'

Gail let out a long breath of relief, smiled and got into the car. She wouldn't let Selena know but she appreciated the help. Selena started up the yellow sports car and drove away.

There wasn't much conversation on the way to Gail's house, just a few pleasantries. When Selena pulled up at the curb in front of Gail's house, it was dark and Gail almost jumped out of the car. She thanked Selena politely for the lift and headed inside her empty house.

Once alone in the living room of her house, Gail collapsed onto the couch and began to cry. She was so overwhelmed with emotion and Selena helping her only confused matters. Gail curled up on the couch and fell asleep.

Morning came and Gail awoke in her bed dressed in an old white shirt and her hair was loose, draped over her pillow. The curtains were open and the sun shone bright through the bedroom window. Gail yawned, gave a big stretch and sat up to find Lucas Buck sitting in the corner of the room.

'Well, look who finally decided to wake up. Do you want to tell me what you're doing here and why you're not in your hospital bed?' Lucas said with a serious look on his face, 'Dr Peele was going crazy last night trying to figure out where you got to darlin' and how you got out of the hospital without him discharging you'

'You all should know better than to think I'm going to lie about in some bed' Gail said with another yawn. 'How did you get in here? And did you change my clothes?'

Lucas smirked, 'Well, you should know better than to think I didn't know what you were doin' Gail; although, I was surprised that you managed to convince Selena to be an accessory to your escape.'

'You didn't answer my questions Lucas'

'You didn't answer mine Gail'

Gail grew tired of the conversation and got up out of bed. Had she realised that she was wearing nothing under the white shirt she would have taken more care to cover herself up with her blanket. Lucas looked her up and down from head to toe and smiled. 'I've missed that view' he said with a teasing look.

Gail blushed slightly, she didn't know how he managed to make her forget how angry she was with him and make her ache for him. Gail forgot herself for a moment and began to wonder if it would be so bad just to unbutton his shirt and caress his chest, maybe run her fingers through his caramel blond hair and kiss his neck softly. Gail could feel herself becoming hot under his seductive gaze.

Lucas, sensing the conflicting feelings she was having, got up out of the chair and walked behind her. He could usually tell when it was safe to make his move or when she would push him away, he sensed an opening and decided to take it.

Lucas gently stroked the nape of Gail's neck and let his fingers slowly move down her back to below the shirt. He blew softly on her neck then began to tenderly kiss and suck it. Lucas was pleased to feel Gail's acceptance as she leaned back into him, turning her head slightly to allow him more access to the side of her neck.

Gail took in a deep breath, trying not to lose her composure and pounce on him. She couldn't believe what she was allowing him to do, but it felt so good…so right. Gail took a sharp intake of breath when Lucas's hand moved from the bottom of her back to her stomach, then up to her bare breasts. He squeezed her breast lightly and a burst of pleasure ran through her from her feet to the pit of her stomach.

As Lucas's hand travelled back down past her stomach and to between her legs, Gail let out a small cry. Lucas continued to kiss her and tell her how much he had missed this, whilst his hand continued to play with her. The movement became faster and more vigorous, which caused Gail to lean back further into him.

Gail reached behind her back and found her way into Lucas's pants, she could feel how hard and excited he was. Gail took hold of Lucas and began playing herself; it took all of her concentration to keep up the movement while he was pleasuring her.

Lucas began to groan and kiss her neck more forcefully, his free hand was clutching at her breasts and pulling her as close to him as possible. Both of their hands began to move faster and with more intent, until it was all too much and they came together.

Lucas sat back on Gail's bed and pulled her onto his knee. Gail instantly regretted what she had just done and became angry with herself.

Lucas, sensing how annoyed she was, stroked her arm. 'are you ok darlin'?' he asked concerned.

Gail brushed his hand away and got up. 'I'm fine…..I need a shower'

'Gail….' Lucas stood up, took off his boxer shorts and pulled his pants up. '…. one of these days you'll realise that there's no point fighting this' and with that he walked out of her house.

Gail stood silent for a moment before heading to the shower to wash to feel of him off her body.

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Caleb Temple was sitting on the edge of his favourite spot on the lower walkway of the pier, un-phased by the ice cold wind that blowing against his face. He had wrapped up in his thickest coat, scarf and hat, but goose pimples were still present on his skin. The place was deserted on this pure grey winter's morning and he welcomed the peace and quiet.

Ever since Gail's 'accident', Caleb had felt as though he was living in a dream. At first he had no idea what had taken place after Lucas had been attacked, then he had slowly began to remember what he had done and the anger that he had felt when he had found out Gail was pregnant. It was all very hazy but he remembered feeling as though Gail had defied him in some way and he was unwilling to share this new sense of power with another, so he had given her the option to terminate the pregnancy. When Gail's face changed with the realisation of what he had suggested, it had been clear that he had to take matters into his own hands and he had chased her with the very instrument that he had expected her to use.

Caleb was mortified when recalled his actions, he knew that something must have been wrong with him and he did not understand how he could feel that much anger for someone he loved.

It was confusing enough that Gail had been with Lucas without him knowing, after she had seemingly hated him since she had come to Trinity, but he could accept that. Sure he had suspected that something had changed between the two of them, as Lucas always seemed to turn up when Gail came to visit him in school, or took him in to town, but he thought that Gail had just accepted how Lucas was. What was worse was the fact that Gail had seemed to know that Lucas was his biological father and she felt that she could not confide in him.

When Gail had come to town after the death of his father Gage and sister Meryln, Caleb was weary of her and unsure of her intentions. He was happy to have a living relative, as without her he would have been completely alone; however, he had never understood how she could leave her life behind in Charleston, for a child she had never known before.

Caleb had come to realise that he and Gail had suffered the same loss at a similar age and family was very important to her. It was evident that Gail was haunted by the death of parents and she needed to find the truth about what had happened to them, as she didn't believe that the fire had been an accident. It seemed that Gail had believed Lucas was involved somehow and this was a big part of why she had stayed in Trinity. Caleb didn't judge Gail for this, part of him knew he wasn't the only reason why she had stayed and he was happy when she seemed to drop the subject of her parents, as she seemed more at peace.

Gail wouldn't tell him the details of what she had found out about her parents death, only that love had set that building on fire. Caleb didn't understand the reference, but he was happy that the matter had been resolved as Gail had stopped obsessing about the subject after that day and concentrated more on building a relationship with him.

It had been strange seeing Gail in her hospital bed yesterday looking fragile and weak, Caleb knew his cousin was stubborn and strong willed so it had been confusing seeing her just lie there. He had been worried that she would hate him for what he had done, but Gail was pleasant and had seemed concerned with his wellbeing. 'Maybe she didn't remember what had happened' he spoke aloud. Billy had said that Gail had taken a blow to her head when she had fallen and it could have caused some memory loss.

Caleb was torn and confused. He was relieved that there hadn't been a confrontation in the hospital, but a big part of him felt guilty about what he had done and wanted to confess his sins to his cousin. Caleb was scared about how she would react to the truth, but Gail had always told him that the truth was very important to her and if he did anything wrong she would expect him to own up, no matter what the consequences would be.

A single tear ran down his face and dropped into the water below his dangling feet. Caleb felt all alone and felt that he had no one to talk to about what was happened, Lucas had tried to reassure him that he would help but Caleb felt as though he should be punished for what he had done. Even Merlyn had disappeared, which left him feeling empty inside. He put his head in his hands and began to cry.

Billy Peele got out of his brown truck and slammed the door harder than he had intended then walked down the path to the front door of Gail Emory's house. He was more than angry that a patient had escaped from the hospital under his watch, but he felt it was unprofessional to show his true feelings.

After he had received no response knocking on the front door, Billy decided to walk around the side of the house and spotted Gail in her back garden removing stones from the soil of her plant bed. 'Well, look who's ignoring all of her doctor's advice…' he said sarcastically, '…..if you refuse to let me treat you in the hospital Gail, you could at least listen to my instructions and rest instead of working'

Gail stood up, sighed and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, smudging a small bit mud on her cheek. 'Oh please, I wouldn't call moving a few stones working and you are only pissed that I managed to leave the hospital without your say so' she said knowingly.

Gail liked Billy; he seemed to act tough and didn't care about challenging someone when he believed they were in the wrong. She had taken a dislike to him initially when he replaced Matt Crowers position at the hospital, but she had realised that she couldn't hold a grudge against this man just because she missed her friend and Dr Peele seemed more than capable of filling the position, if not a little over-qualified for a small town.

Billy felt his cheeks beginning to heat up with his frustration; he had just come from a scolding from his boss about the importance of ensuring a patient does not leave the hospital before they are officially discharged, so Gail's relaxed attitude about the matter was extremely annoying. 'Come to mention it, maybe I am a bit pissed as it doesn't look great for me when my patient decides to check herself out of hospital without informing me or any of the hospital staff. I also didn't appreciate having to search for you for hours last night, when I had better things to do with my time'

Billy hadn't really had plans, he was just meeting Deputy Ben Healy for drinks at Jimmy's bar; however, he wasn't going to let Gail get off lightly and he could have had more important things to attend to.

Gail hadn't realised at the time how selfish she had been and that she might get Billy into trouble for leaving the hospital. 'Ok, I'm sorry' she sighed, 'I didn't want to lay about in a bed when there are things I could be doing here, besides the fresh air will do me some good. It didn't occur to me that you might get into trouble for my actions, I'll try to smooth things over with your boss if he's getting at you'

Billy tried to relax, after all he knew from the few encounters he previously had with Gail that she was stubborn and she was clearly on edge after waking up from the coma. If he was in the same boat, he probably would have left the hospital too.

Billy had realised that he and Gail were very alike, especially after some of the chats that he had with Ben over drinks and if they had met under different circumstances they may have been intimate; however, he knew there was no chance of getting near Gail in a romantic way while Lucas Buck was around, so he would settle for trying to become friends if he could.

Billy walked towards Gail and gently began examining her; he was determined to make sure she was ok as she had suffered a head and neck injury. She had healed remarkably well while she was in the coma, but he wanted to make sure that she hadn't hurt herself with the activities she had done since she had left the hospital. Gail tried to pull away defiantly but Billy gently grabbed her. 'Stop fighting Gail…I'm your doctor and if you refuse to be treated in the hospital, I'm going to have to make do with examining you here'

Suddenly the wind picked up in the garden and Lucas Buck turned the corner of the house, just in time to see Billy seemingly stroking Gail's head and neck. 'What the hell is going on here?' he said as he marched up to Billy and yanked his hand off her.

Gail stepped back in shock; she hadn't expected to see Lucas again that day, after their earlier encounter in her bedroom and looking at both men she knew she wouldn't be able to control this situation on her own. Lucas had loathed Billy ever since as he set foot in Trinity, even more than he had disliked Matt. She wasn't sure whether it was the authority and defiance that Billy had projected, or the fact that he had been intimate with Selena that had made Lucas feel that he had to insert his own authority each time they were together. 'Lucas!' she spoke firmly, 'get off him'

Lucas turned towards Gail and smirked, to try and hide his irritation, 'I'm sorry darlin', am I interrupting something?' he said in his best southern drawl, 'It seems that you and Billy boy are getting very cosy here, is there something we need to discuss?'

Billy calmly glanced down at the wrist that Lucas was gripping and let out an exasperated breath. 'Under the circumstances I'll give you a pass on this, after what you've been through in the past few months; however, if you don't let go of my hand in 5 seconds…well, you'll be prying it off your throat, Buck'

Lucas turned his attention to Billy and tightened his grip on the wrist. It was bad enough that this man had waltzed into his town and thought he could steal his mistress, but for Billy to be caressing his lover's neck when she couldn't bear his own touch without being plagued with guilt; it was too much and he could feel his blood boiling. 'Come on doctor, give me your best shot' he said with a grin.

Gail stepped closer to the exchange and placed her hand on Lucas's wrist. 'I won't tell you again Lucas, let go and stand down!' This was getting out of control. Gail would not let these men use her as an excuse to settle their issues with a fight. She turned towards Billy calmly, 'Doctor, you're smart enough to realise that it is a felony in South Carolina to assault an officer, so I expect you to use your head and some self-control unless you want him to cart you off to a jail cell'

Ben Healy came around the corner of the house to see his new drinking buddy and his boss squaring up to each other. Gail was holding Lucas's wrist and was clearly trying to diffuse the situation, but going by the look on both men's faces it was evident that her attempt was failing. When she saw Ben she looked relieved and signalled him to help. He knew his day was going to go to hell from here in and he approached the stand-off. 'Ok now, there's no need for this' he tried to reason with them both and went to the side of Billy, ready to grab him if the situation got worse.

'Ben's right…' Gail said, 'you both need to drop this now and start acting like adults'

Lucas finally let go of Billy's hand and looked at Gail. Part of him felt as if he owned her and the thought of someone touching his property made him act irrationally. It wasn't often that Lucas lost control over a woman, but clearly the last few months events had affected his self-control more than he had wanted to admit.

Gail stood staring defiantly at Lucas; she didn't know where to begin or what to say about what had just happened. This was all too much for her. She never liked to get involved with people that she had to deal with on a professional level, as it would always end up with an awkward confrontation which was unnecessary. Gail had originally hoped that they could keep their relationship strictly physical, no heart and no soul would mean no jealousy or possessiveness. Clearly, that hadn't worked.

Ben looked from Gail to Lucas then patted Billy on the back and signalled for him to leave. This exchanged between Lucas and Gail was making him uncomfortable and he wanted to get as far away from it as quickly as he could. 'Well, I'm going to wait in the car Lucas' he said trying not to let his discomfort show, 'it was nice seeing you up and well Gail'

Billy moved closer to Gail before following Ben and looked over his shoulder at Lucas as he whispered 'You take it easy and rest. I will be back to check on you later, hopefully we won't need to deal with the crazy ex-boyfriend then' and with a wink he headed towards his truck with Ben in tow.

Gail smiled to herself and turned her attention back towards Lucas, she realised that the wind seemed to die down when it was just the two of them, which was peculiar but she tried not to get distracted. 'So did you just come here to disrupt my day, or was there any point to this visit?'

Lucas began to regain his composure now that they were alone. He was happy that Gail had started to get riled up; he always managed to find a way in through her anger, it was one of the few emotions that caused her to let her guard down. 'Have you spoken to your cousin recently?' he asked

Gail felt uneasy at the mention of Caleb, but she couldn't explain why she felt that way,' I saw him yesterday in the hospital, but I've not spoken to him today. Why?'

'Caleb is going through a rough patch at the moment darlin' and I thought, as his cousin, you would want to be there for him',

Lucas had decided to keep what had happened between him and Caleb, if Gail regained her memory then he would deal with that at a later time. As much as he wanted Caleb to depend on him, he knew that Caleb's relationship with Gail was important and his boy needed his family, therefore, he decided to make it his duty to reunite them.

Gail began to tense up, she had never been one to be told what to do and certainly not by a man. She didn't trust Lucas's motive at the best of times and she trusted him even less when it came to Caleb. She had been devastated when she had found out that Lucas was Caleb's father, part of her was angry that she had not considered the notion previously, with how interested he had been with Caleb; however, she couldn't have conceived that her Aunt Judy would have slept with another man and she naively believed that Lucas wasn't the type of man to just take what he wanted, clearly she had been wrong.

Gail decided that she didn't want to willingly approach Caleb until she could figure out why he made her feel so uneasy, her instincts had never been wrong before and they were telling her to stay away from her cousin at least for the time being. 'I don't need you to tell me what to do about my family Lucas, I'll see Caleb when I want; besides, if he needs me he can come and visit whenever he feels like it'

Lucas began to realise that getting Gail and Caleb to make up was going to be a lot harder than he thought. He had tried convincing Caleb to come with him earlier that morning, but the boy had decided that he wanted to be alone so Lucas had dropped him off at the pier, at Caleb's request. 'I'm not telling you what to do darlin'' Lucas sighed 'I just thought you'd like to know that your cousin isn't his usual happy self and he could use some support from his family'

Gail began to get agitated, she was trying to keep calm but the more Lucas talked about Caleb the more uneasy she felt. 'The last I heard you were his family too Lucas, so why don't you go support him? Is it because he wants nothing to do with you? After all, you had abandoned him for 10 years with a drunk that clearly couldn't take care of him or his sister.'

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Gail instantly regretted what she had said; even more so when she saw the offended then defensive look on Lucas's face. Lucas was a proud man that hid his feelings very well, but every now and again she would make a comment which made him look at her as if he was a wounded puppy.

'Maybe it was a mistake me coming by like this' he said, backing away from her.

'Lucas, wait…' she tried to reason.

'No, you're right' he said with a venomous tone to his voice, 'I shouldn't have bothered you while you're still grieving, the loss of a child is a hard thing to come to terms with especially when someone so proud couldn't protect herself'

The comment winded Gail, as if he had struck out and slapped her in the face. What did he mean couldn't protect herself? Did he know something she didn't? Gail had never known Lucas to be cruel to her, unless she had really hit a nerve with him.

The loss of the baby had affected her more than she had hoped, yes she was a proud person and she believed that she was more than capable of making the right decisions to protect their unborn child but something had happened that Gail could not fathom, which caused her to lose their child. Gail knew deep down that there was no way she would have fallen down a flight of stairs clumsily, something had happened in Lucas's house and she was beginning to think that Caleb was a part of it.

'I think you should go' Gail said wounded. She needed to be alone to think and if the past 6 months had proven anything to her, it was that she did not think clearly or sensibly in the company of Lucas Buck. That man had a way of convincing her to throw all her common sense out of the window.

Lucas turned away from her and started to walk away. 'Don't lose sight of why you came to Trinity, Miss Emory' he said as he turned the corner to the front of her house, leaving her alone in the garden.

Gail stood for a moment feeling the light cold breeze on her face, then decided she was done with resting in her house and went in to get dressed in to something more respectable, so she could head into town. Gail always did her best thinking while she was busy.

Gail had come to the realisation that she had gained weight, when she attempted to get into her favourite jeans and she had to force the button to fasten. Strangely she had not gained any weight during her pregnancy, but all the junk she had eaten seemed to be catching up to her now as she definitely felt her clothes feeling tighter than usual and her arms and stomach weren't as toned as she had remembered. Gail settled for wearing a loose fitting grey dress and a pair of fleece lined boots. She left her legs bare, but wrapped herself in a thick silver scarf and her long winter coat.

When Gail drove into town and parked her red mustang by the pier, she decided that she would treat herself to a trip to a Salon before heading to some clothes shops to pick out a new wardrobe. She felt like a change so she told the hairdresser in the Salon to cut her hair to shoulder length with layers. The girl looks unsure at first as her hair had grown significantly since the 'accident' but Gail reassured her that she wanted a change and if she didn't like it, well it would grow back soon enough. After she was finished in the Salon, Gail returned to her car to apply some make up and then had a slow walk through the town until she found a clothes shop that she liked the look of.

Gail decided that she was sick of the sweet and innocent image and she felt like being a bit more daring, at least for the time being. She purchased a few pairs of black leggings, some nice short dresses and a few long cardigans. She couldn't go wrong with loose fitting clothes, until she could lose her excess weight. Gail stopped in a lingerie shop, as she had realised that even her bra was too tight so she would have to go for the next size up. Lucas would surely comment on that sooner or later, with some sexual invitation but for she would not be concerned with that now. Happy with herself, Gail treated herself to a large latte and went for a stroll along the pier. Some exercise in the fresh air would surely do her some good.

As she was walking slowly admiring the view, she caught sight of her cousin looking distressed and sat with his legs dangling over the edge of the pier, nearly touching the water. Gail froze and tightened her grip on her latte; she wasn't sure whether she was ready to talk to him, as she still hadn't pondered over what Lucas had said. Instinct took over before she knew it and she had jumped down to the lower level of the pier then began to approach her only living relative.

Looking out onto the water, Gail admired the calmness of the waves and the forest in the distance. She had always loved Charleston and the fact that it was a big city, but Trinity had a natural charm and she could get lost observing the scenery for hours. As she got closer to Caleb, she realise that his shoulders were slumped and he was shivering. 'Caleb?' she called.

Caleb turned sharply at the sound of his name, he had been sat in this place for hours trying to sort through his feelings and he was shocked that he had been noticed. When he saw Gail's familiar face, warmth ran though his body and he forgot about his fear of seeing her again. 'Gail? What are you doing here? I thought you were in the hospital'

Gail placed her bag of clothes on the ground, drank the last drop of her coffee and sat down beside her cousin. 'I checked myself out…well sort of' she explained, 'you know that I'm not the type to lie about in some bed, I needed a few bits so I came shopping. What are you doing out in this cold? You look freezing'

Gail unzipped her coat and placed it around Caleb's trembling shoulders. She wrapped her cardigan around her chest and folded her arms to try to keep some warmth. It wasn't right that a child should be left shivering; besides, she'd been in tougher situations where she had to deal with more than just the cold. Caleb began to shrug off the coat, but Gail gave him a look which dared him to challenge her, so he pulled it back over his shoulders.

'I'm just thinking,' Caleb said, debating whether to tell her everything or to keep his feelings bottled up. 'I like you hair' he added with a small smile.

Gail let out a quiet laugh. 'Thank you…you know you are the only boy that I've ever met who notices all the little things. You really are quite observant; we could do with finding you a hobby where you could use that skill.'

An awkward silence fell on them both. Gail couldn't decide whether to question Caleb about what had happened or wait to see if he would volunteer the information. Lucas had mentioned that her cousin was going through a rough time so part of her felt that she should tread carefully; however, that wasn't in Gail's nature. She had worked her way up through the ranks when she had been accepted for the reporter position at one of the highest rated newspapers in Charleston, all by asking tough questions and searching for the truth. It pained her that she couldn't return to her old life, but she supposed she had found a few good stories and investigations to keep her on her toes in Trinity. Before she had a chance to finish the debate in her head, Caleb broke the silence.

'I'm sorry Gail' he said staring at his hands. Caleb decided he would just tell her what he knew and deal with the consequences. If she hated him so be it, at least he could put the matter to rest and try to mend their relationship at a later time.

'Sorry for what?' Gail asked cautiously, not really sure whether she wanted to know the answer to the question or not.

Caleb took a deep breath and explained everything that he remembered about what had happened after Lucas had 'died'. He stressed that he hadn't meant to do the bad things that he had done and that it was as though he had been in a dream state the whole time, without control of his actions or senses; however, he knew he had attacked her and he needed to take ownership of his actions.

After he had finished talking, Caleb was afraid not want to look at his cousin. She had sat patiently while he had explained everything he could remember and now she was silent.

Gail stared out into the water, trying to place her focus on the calmness of the waves and the cold breeze which felt as though it was dancing on her bare knees. She was stunned at what she had just heard and she felt sick.

The memories started to come back to her of Caleb chasing her with a hot poker and her running up the stairs to try and escape him. She remembered locking herself in the bathroom of the over extravagant mansion to give herself time to think of a way out, as the front door had been locked. She had thrown a wooden cabinet out of the window in an attempt to fool her cousin into thinking she had climbed out of the window; she was nearly free when the front door crashed open and she had seen her 'dead' lover, staring up at her with a concerned look on his face. Lucas had shouted for her to look out, but it was too late. As Caleb had brought the poker down on her, she had managed to dodge the attack but had lost her footing and fell down the stairs.

Gail took several deep breaths trying to calm her nerves. The Caleb she had cared for since her arrival in Trinity, and the one sat in her presence now was not the same thing that had attacked her; this she was sure of. What she wasn't sure of was how this change had come about and why had he reverted back to the seemingly caring boy she knew he was.

Gail was aware that Caleb had begun shaking, probably because she hadn't spoken a word in the 5 minutes since he had finished his account of events. She turned towards her cousin, forced a caring smile and caressed his cheek with the front of her hand. Caleb slowly looked up at her, as if he was some sort of prey and was awaiting a predator to pounce.

'It's ok, Caleb…' she said softly, 'I appreciate your honesty and I've spent enough time with you to know that you wouldn't intentionally try to hurt me. Something came over you that we can't explain and none of this was your fault'

Caleb couldn't hide how relieved he was at her words, he had been so scared and Lucas had convinced him that Gail wouldn't understand what he had done. He felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he could finally be happy that his cousin was back with him, without being concerned about how she would react if she knew the truth of what had happened.

Gail stood up, straightened out her dress and signalled for Caleb to get up. She needed time alone to think, away from Caleb and away from Lucas Buck.

'Come on, you've been out here far too long and you're going to make yourself ill' she said, 'I'll take you home and I want you to get a hot bath or shower to warm yourself up.'

Caleb nodded in agreement and they headed to Gail's car at the far side of the pier. After she had dropped Caleb off at the boarding house, Gail went home to change into a navy blue lace dress, which showed off her new found curves and a pair of black leggings, then headed back into town towards Jimmy's bar. If there's one place the Sheriff would not be present at 2pm on a work day, it was a bar.

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

It was 5pm and Gail had been sat at the dim lit bar counter for approximately two hours. She had considered what Caleb had told her and decided that something with Lucas's 'death' must have affected her cousin and sent him into a dazed state; therefore, he could not control his actions. The more Gail thought about it, the more she drank. She had started with a glass of vodka and lemonade then switched to a few shots of Jagermeister. As she was polishing off her last shot, Billy Peele crept up behind her.

'Wow…well I certainly wouldn't recommend that drink to aid with your healing, Gail' he said with a laugh.

Billy hadn't expected to see anyone that he knew in the bar at this time. He had finished his shift early so had decided to come straight down after work. It normally took Ben a good few hours before he was able to be let off duty, so he thought he'd have a drink or two and wait for his friend. Gail didn't look like she wanted the company, but he made the decision to sit with her and make sure she was ok.

Gail turned to Billy and smiled,' Well, you caught me…' she said with a guilty tone as she drank her last shot in one gulp, '…I wanted to get away from my crazy ex-boyfriend and I thought I still had a few more hours before the working people of Trinity started to come in here'

Billy nodded, 'yeah, well I'm off shift early so thought I'd come down here to work off some of my 'issues' before Ben got off duty. Mind if I join you?'

Gail gestured to the free chair next to her, 'Knock yourself out'

Billy glanced at the 3 empty shot glasses in front of his new companion and decided that it was only fair that he caught up with her. 'Jimmy, have you got a bottle of Jager with a shot glass and whatever the lady is having' he asked the bartender

Gail was amused at Billy's actions, she had clearly wanted to be alone but he had injected himself into her space and was attempting to even the playing field with how much she had drank. She knew she had drunk enough alcohol to stop any sensible thoughts from surfacing, so she decided to let herself enjoy the present company. 'Well, I'll happily share your Jager for now, but can I have a glass of diet Coke to go with it please Jimmy?'

The bartender nodded, began preparing the order then placed the bottle of Jager, shot glass and diet Coke in from of them.

Gail and Billy sat in silence for a moment, before Billy decided to break the ice. 'So, how are you feeling? Have you managed to rest up like I told you?

Gail shook her head and poured some Jager into her diet Coke. 'No shop talk doctor, I'm getting sick of people being concerned with how I am. I was in a coma, now I'm not, in the grand scale of life it's not that important.'

Billy could see that Gail was trying to hide how upset she was and this probably wasn't the best place to do it. When it had become clear that Selena was still in love with Lucas Buck, he had spent most nights in here drinking away his hurt; to the point where he had nearly broke into Selena's house in the early hours of the morning, but Ben had found him before he completed the action.

No, he wouldn't let Gail get upset if he could help it. He took the bottle of Jager out of her hand, filled one of her empty shot glasses then downed four of his own in one gulp each. 'Come on, Miss Emory…' he said mischievously, '…let's throw caution to the wind. There's no point diluting a nice drink like this, it's just a waste.'

Gail didn't know what to say, this man who she had only talked to a dozen times was egging her on to get drunk. She was usually smarter than this and would normally not put herself in a position where she could be taken advantage of, but she'd had a bad two days and there was something about Billy that she trusted. 'Screw it,' she smiled and downed the shot that was in front of her, 'if my doctor tells me that this is the best medicine for me; who am I to argue?'

Billy smiled and poured them both another shot. He knew that come morning they would regret their actions, but morning seemed forever away and he was glad that he had finally made another friend.

The clock struck 7pm and Gail and Billy were seating comfortably in a dark corner of the bar. They had moved on from Jager to Bourbon, which Gail didn't usually have a taste for but 'in for the penny' she thought.

Gail had made peace with the fact that she would be in no fit state to function come closing time, so she might as well continue to enjoy herself. Billy had told her that Ben was due to join them any minute and they had made sure that there were plenty of shots waiting for him.

Selena Coombs sauntered into the bar wearing a leopard print halter-neck top and a tight black mini skirt. All eyes turned to her as she glided across the floor to the bar counter and picked up a Martini which had already been prepared for her. Selena didn't bother wondering who was buying her drinks these days, she had come to realise that there would always be one waiting for her when she entered this bar alone.

Surveying her surroundings, Selena spied her ex and the lovely Miss Emory looking cosy together in a dark corner. She didn't know whether to be jealous or to be thankful that Lucas hadn't walked in and seen this display, as he would no doubt arrange a fatal 'accident' for her ex-lover. Selena decided to approach the couple to gage what was going on.

Gail was laughing so hard that she was finding it hard to catch her breath, when she realised that Billy had tensed up. She touched his arm and following his gaze to see Selena heading their way. Gail rolled her eyes. She never understood how this woman could have such a strong effect on men. Yes, Selena was beautiful in an exotic way; however, if Gail was to believe half the stories she had heard, Selena had slept with a high percentage of the male population in Trinity, which instantly removed the attraction in her eyes.

Gail found her footing and stood up to challenge Selena. 'Can we help you Miss Coombs?' she asked sweetly.

When Selena saw Gail's attire and her new found confidence, she backed up slightly. 'Well Miss Emory, aren't you looking quite the picture tonight. It's like Cinderella's first trip to the Ball' she said in a catty tone.

Gail smiled, say what you want about Selena but she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, at least not with Gail. 'What, this old thing?...' Gail let her hand trail across her stomach and down her hips as she stoked the lace dress, '…Just something I found in the closet. How can we be of assistance Selena? Are you struggling to find any friends in this establishment that you can sit with?'

Selena smirked, 'Now, now Gail. Let's not forget who was of assistance to you yesterday, when you had need of transportation away from the hospital.'

Billy came to his senses and stood up. 'So, you're the reason why she managed to get away from the hospital without anyone knowing? Do you know how stupid that was Selena?'

Selena stepped back, hurt. 'Billy, I…..'

'No…' Billy spat more angrily than he had intended, clearly the alcohol was effecting him, '…for all you knew Gail could've collapsed when you left her, or worse. Considering you're a school teacher, I would expect you to have some basic concept of safety Selena.

Gail stepped in, it was evident that Billy was using this as an excuse to scold the woman and Selena had helped her after all. 'Billy, calm down. What happened was no one's fault but my own; it's not fair for you to blame Selena for making sure I got home safely.'

'I don't need your help Gail' Selena said defensively, 'You two are so self-absorbed, you're perfect for each other!' With that Selena disappeared to a table at the far end of the room.

Billy and Gail sat back down. 'Well, that wasn't awkward at all,' Gail said trying to lighten to mood.

'It's ok. It wouldn't have been fair if we let your crazy ex-boyfriend cause all the drama today' Billy laughed, picking up the bottle of Bourbon and pouring a generous amount into both their glasses.

Gail smiled and drank up; she would deal with her crazy ex-boyfriend in good time.

9pm came and went; however, there was no sign of Ben to be seen. By this time Gail could barely stand up, but Billy had thought it would be a good idea for them to go to the Sheriff's station and collect Ben. Gail, in all her wisdom, couldn't think of any reason why this wasn't the best idea that she had ever heard, so they left the bar together and stumbled their way to the Sheriff's station.

The night air was ice cold and had managed to sober Gail up a little. Thoughts of the last two days events were swimming through her brain and she had an epiphany. None of what had happened was Caleb's fault, it was all Lucas Buck. Something had come over Caleb when Lucas had 'died', yet when he was nursed back to full health the Caleb she had known and loved had returned.

Thinking this way sounded crazy to her, but there was no other explanation. If Lucas would have given Gail some warning about what would happen to her cousin if anything happened to him, she would have been better prepared; however, in traditional Lucas style, he kept all the cards hidden.

As Gail approached the Sheriff's station, she began to feel rage engulf her with each passing step. The clanging sound of the bell above the door sounded distant to her, as she entered to brightly lit reception and saw Lucas leaning against the counter, talking to Ben. Without thinking, she walked straight past the two of them and into Lucas's office. She felt the eyes on her back as she had passed them, so she waited for Lucas to follow her.

Lucas was taken aback from what he had just seen. Not only was his love sporting a completely different look, but she had walked straight past him into his office. Lucas turned towards Billy and raised his eyebrows, as if questioning. Billy shrugged then began talking to Ben. After a moment Lucas left them to it, casually moved to his office and closed the door.

Gail was perched on the edge of his desk, glancing at the paperwork that he had left out. Lucas eyed her from top to bottom, taking in the new style she seemed to have adopted. 'What did you do to your hair darlin'?' he asked.

Gail ran her fingers through her hair, trying to remain calm and not taking her eyes off the paperwork that she was studying. 'I felt like a change, what do you think?' she asked sweetly.

Lucas felt as though something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Gail was talking in a sweet tone; however, he thought he could hear a slight bit of venom in some of her words. 'I preferred your hair longer….it gave me more to grip onto' he said in a suggestive manner.

Gail just nodded slowly, keeping her composure. 'So, I saw Caleb at the pier earlier…he had a lot to say for himself.'

Lucas did not like the way Gail was behaving, he decided to tread cautiously. 'Is that so? What did you two talk about?'

Gail finally got up from the desk and turned towards Lucas, 'Oh about how he had attacked me in your house, which inevitably caused me to fall down your stairs. I get the feeling that you're already aware of the events of that day Lucas, am I right?'

Lucas approached Gail slowly and attempted to stroke her face, but she stepped away and he ended up perched on the desk in her place. 'I saw what had happened, yes. Caleb filled in the blanks when he finally remembered, but I didn't think it would aid your recovery to be bombarded with the grizzly details of that night darlin'' Lucas said, trying to control the situation.

Gail smiled, as she rested her back on his office door. 'Listen to you… you would make a perfect PR man at my paper. You really know how to spin the truth to work in your favour, don't you?'

Lucas shrugged, it's what he had been doing all his life and he took her comment as a compliment. Gail hadn't mentioned how the conversation with Caleb had ended, but he was beginning to feel her anger so he didn't believe she was projecting the blame onto his boy. 'Where is Caleb now? I assume you weren't too hard on him.'

Gail took a deep breath then stepped a few paces closure to Lucas. 'He's at the boarding house and why would I be hard on him? What happened wasn't his fault'

Lucas began to realise where she was going with this line of conversation, she thought he was to blame for what had happened as she couldn't accept that Caleb would commit such an act using his own free will. It wasn't the first time that Lucas had let himself shoulder the blame for something and if this is what it took to make Gail accept her cousin again, he would happily pay the price. Besides, he knew he had Gail no matter what she chose to believe; it would just take that little bit longer to convince her to bend to his will.

Lucas stood up and began to raise his hands in a peace gesture, but Gail stepped forward quickly and pushed him back down to a sitting position on his desk. He couldn't quite tell what her end game was here, but Lucas was certainly excited at the thought of finding out.

Gail tried to think rationally but between the anger and the alcohol, she didn't stand a chance. Having the power to push Lucas down had made her feel strong. She was used to Lucas dominating their relationship, she decided she wanted him on her terms and she wanted him to feel powerless.

Gail stepped between Lucas's legs and began to remove his waistcoat then started to unbutton his shirt. Lucas was wearing a dark red shirt and looked absolutely ravishing, but she tried not to get distracted as she began to pull it down from his shoulders to his arms. Gail didn't unbutton the shirt all the way, she had left just enough fastened to enable her to use the shirt as a bind for his hands.

Lucas was impressed that Gail had actually managed to tangle his wrists behind his back, without him realising what she was planning. He tugged a little at the shirt from behind, but it did seem like he was securely tied. 'What do you intend to do now darlin'?' he said, trying to hide his arousal, 'It would seem that I'm all yours to do with as you please'

Before she could control it, Gail slapped Lucas hard across the cheek. She was shocked at the action that she had just taken, but thought she might as well take this all the way. Gail let her hands touch his bare chest then slowly make their way down to his pants. Lucas lifted his hips slightly to give her access to his zip and to allow her to pull the pants down to his ankles.

Gail pulled down her black leggings and let them drop to the floor, then stepped out of her panties. She had decided that she wanted to take him for a change, to humiliate him and to show him that he couldn't control everything. She knelt on the desk, towering above him and felt his breathe through the dress on her chest. He was panting, clearly eager for her touch; however, she used all of her self-control to stay there, legs open and ready to take him inside her.

Lucas continued to stare into Gail's eyes; he was willing her to do something whether it be to kiss him or touch him, but she just hovered there right above his manhood, then without warning she sat down and pushed him inside of her. He moaned with the intense pleasure that shot through him in that moment, he had never experienced surprise when he had entered a woman. He was always in control. Lucas tried to untangle his hands from his shirt so he could take her in his arms, but she knelt up and let him fall out of her.

'Now, now Sheriff' she whispered in his ear, 'this happens my way, not yours. Now are you ready to play nice?'

Lucas began to get agitated, but he nodded to show his obedience. He wished he would've known Gail was into role playing as they could have had a lot more fun in their previous encounters.

Gail placed a hand firmly on his shoulder for leverage and used her other hand to guide him back inside of her. This felt incredible, she didn't know whether it was due to her confidence or the fact that she was totally in control, but she didn't want to stop.

Gail rode Lucas slowly at first, then faster and more roughly. She could see that he wasn't impressed with his position in this, but she could feel how aroused he was and that made her even more excited. Both of their breaths began to come faster and Gail felt that she was nearing her climax, when she suddenly became light headed and started to slow down.

Lucas, sensing her exhaustion, untangled his hands with what seemed like little effort then gripped her back and situated her legs around him. He stood up and slammed Gail against the wall, pushing deeper inside her as he did. 'You don't think you get off that easy do you Gail?' he said breathlessly and began to pump in and out of her.

At the sound of her name on his lips, Gail's climax hit her from the pit of her stomach and began to rise intensely. Lucas forced his lips on hers, to silence the yell that was about to follow then she felt him explode inside of her. Lucas seemed to push himself as far as he could get inside her and then just stayed there for a moment, still crushing her into the wall. When he finally pulled out and let her down, Gail's legs nearly gave in but she fought the urge as she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her weak.

Gail pulled her dress down to cover herself then reached for some tissue to clean herself up. Lucas found his shirt and began to dress, he didn't know what to make of this encounter, but he certainly wanted to play like this again.

When she had cleaned herself and pulled her leggings back on, Gail turned towards Lucas. 'We're done' was all she said before heading out the door to find Billy.

Lucas smiled and spoke aloud,' Done?...oh we've not even begun'

The End


End file.
